The Hindu Editorial • October 22, 2026 • Read Original

The FSSAI must expand restrictions to cover all added sugars in infant foods

Scoreclever

Win Exams Cleverly

The Hindu Read Original

9 min read

Analysis of editorial from The Hindu newspaper on October 22, 2026

Bitter and sweet: on FSSAI draft restrictions, added sugars in infant foods

The FSSAI must expand restrictions to cover all added sugars in infant foods

Society FSSAIInfant NutritionAdded SugarsPublic HealthICMR-NIN Guidelines

Sentences

Sentence 1 of 13

English Original

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2020 currently allow manufacturers to add sucrose and fructose, provided their combined total does not exceed 20% of the carbohydrates in a product intended for infants aged 0-6 months.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2020

The official food safety rules established in India in the year 2020

Part 2

currently allow manufacturers to add and ,

Presently permit baby food companies to mix in table sugar (sucrose) and fruit sugar (fructose),

Part 3

their combined total does not exceed 20% of the carbohydrates

On the condition that the combined amount of both added sugars is not more than one-fifth (20%) of all carbohydrates

Part 4

in a product intended for infants aged 0-6 months.

In any packaged food created specifically for babies from birth up to six months of age.

Context and Background

FSSAI Infant Nutrition Regulations 2020

The Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020 govern quality benchmarks for baby foods in India. While designating lactose as the preferred carbohydrate, the regulations permitted sucrose and fructose up to 20% of total carbohydrates when necessary, a provision now slated for removal.

Sentence 2 of 13

English Original

In a draft proposal, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pitched to eliminate this allowance — in line with WHO’s recommendation to have infants breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, followed by nutritionally adequate complementary foods avoiding added sugars until 24 months.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In a proposal,

In an early version of a proposed regulatory plan open for review,

Part 2

the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has to eliminate this —

India’s food safety regulator has formally proposed removing this sugar permission completely,

Part 3

’s recommendation to have infants breastfeed for the first six months,

Matching the World Health Organization’s advice that babies should receive only mother’s milk for their first six months,

Part 4

followed by nutritionally avoiding added sugars until 24 months.

After which children should receive healthy solid foods prepared without any added sugar up to age two.

Context and Background

WHO Complementary Feeding Guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. From six to 24 months, infants should transition to nutrient-dense complementary foods with zero added sugars, non-sugar sweeteners, or sweetened beverages to build healthy taste preferences and curb early risks of childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases.

Sentence 3 of 13

English Original

While corporations have defended sugary formulations as abiding by the Codex Alimentarius, public health experts have repeatedly described their decision to sell infant foods with added sugar as nutritional dumping.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While corporations have defended sugary

Even though food companies justify their sweet baby food recipes

Part 2

as the ,

By arguing that they obey international food standards,

Part 3

public health experts have repeatedly described their decision to sell infant foods with added sugar

Medical and child nutrition specialists have frequently criticized the choice of selling sugar-added baby foods

Part 4

as .

As an unfair practice of offloading harmful, low-quality products into developing countries.

Context and Background

Codex Alimentarius and Nutritional Dumping

The Codex Alimentarius is a joint FAO/WHO international food standards body. While multinational food corporations frequently claim their sweetened infant products meet minimum Codex thresholds, public health advocates accuse them of “nutritional dumping”: marketing high-sugar baby foods in developing nations like India while offering sugar-free variants of the exact same brands in Western Europe.

Sentence 4 of 13

English Original

Adding sugar has often been a commercial strategy, as it serves as a cheap bulking agent, improves palatability and encourages repeat purchases.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Adding sugar has often been a commercial strategy,

Mixing sugar into baby food has frequently been a business profit tactic,

Part 2

as it serves as a cheap ,

Because sugar works as an inexpensive ingredient to increase product weight and volume,

Part 3

improves and encourages repeat purchases.

Makes the food taste more pleasant to infants and prompts parents to buy the brand again and again.

Sentence 5 of 13

English Original

WHO’s nutrient and promotion profile model for baby foods in 2022 also identified sweet purées and products in which fruits released sugars during processing as concerns.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

WHO’s for baby foods in 2022

The World Health Organization’s 2022 scientific nutritional standard for testing infant foods

Part 2

also identified sweet

Also pointed out that sweet mashed fruit and vegetable pastes

Part 3

and products in which fruits during processing as concerns.

And items where manufacturing processes broke open fruits to release free sugars were problematic for baby health.

Context and Background

WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model 2022

Published in 2022 for infant foods, the WHO’s Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) assesses the nutritional suitability of commercially produced baby foods. The model specifically flagged commercial fruit purées and fruit juices because blending and thermal processing rupture plant cell walls, releasing intrinsic sugars as “free sugars” that promote tooth decay, obesity, and sweet-taste dependency.

Sentence 6 of 13

English Original

While the FSSAI’s draft proposal is a step in the right direction, stopping here would allow manufacturers to replace sucrose with another sweetening ingredient.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While the FSSAI’s draft proposal is ,

Even though the proposed food safety change is a positive first move,

Part 2

stopping here would allow manufacturers

Halting regulatory changes at this point would give companies an opportunity

Part 3

to replace sucrose with another .

To substitute table sugar with alternative sweeteners like corn syrup or maltodextrin.

Sentence 7 of 13

English Original

It should assess the ingredients that manufacturers add and the nutritional profile of the finished food, thus completing the loop, with the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods Act 1992 rightly restricting aggressively the marketing of infant foods for children up to two years old.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

It should the ingredients that manufacturers add

The regulatory authority must examine the specific raw substances that companies put in baby foods

Part 2

and the of the finished food,

As well as the complete nutrient balance of the packaged product ready for sale,

Part 3

thus ,

Thereby closing every regulatory gap between food composition and marketing,

Part 4

with the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods Act 1992

Working alongside India’s special 1992 infant food legislation

Part 5

rightly restricting the marketing of infant foods for children up to two years old.

Which appropriately and strictly bans commercial advertising and promotions of baby products up to age two.

Context and Background

The IMS Act 1992 and Infant Food Marketing

The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 (amended in 2003) is India’s law banning commercial promotion of baby foods. The IMS Act prohibits all advertising, inducements, free samples, and corporate sponsorships for infant milk substitutes and complementary foods aimed at children up to two years of age to safeguard breastfeeding and prevent predatory marketing.

Sentence 8 of 13

English Original

Research has found that children who regularly received sweetened water during infancy subsequently preferred sweeter liquids, while exposure to different infant formula flavours influenced their dietary preferences years later, including for foods tasting neutral or bitter.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Research has found that children who regularly received sweetened water during

Scientific studies show that babies who were frequently given sugar-mixed water during early months

Part 2

preferred sweeter liquids,

Later on strongly favored drinks with higher sugar content,

Part 3

while to different flavours

Whereas introducing babies to varied tastes in milk formulas

Part 4

influenced their years later,

Shaped the kinds of food they naturally enjoyed eating as they grew older,

Part 5

including for foods tasting or bitter.

Including developing a willingness to eat plain-tasting foods or slightly bitter vegetables.

Context and Background

Early Flavor Programming in Infants

Pediatric research shows that human infants are biologically born with an innate affinity for sweet tastes and an aversion to bitter flavors. Early feeding practices establish “flavor programming”: infants given sweetened liquids develop heightened thresholds for sweetness, whereas those exposed to diverse flavor profiles (such as hydrolyzed formulas or varied unsweetened foods) learn to readily accept neutral, sour, and bitter tastes like green vegetables in later life.

Sentence 9 of 13

English Original

Across both personal and public health dimensions, then, infants need to encounter diverse flavours.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Across both personal and public health , then,

Looking at both an individual baby’s health and the broader society’s wellness,

Part 2

infants need to encounter flavours.

Young babies must be given a wide variety of different tastes rather than just sweet foods.

Sentence 10 of 13

English Original

Since the 2024 dietary guidelines of the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition say that children under two should avoid added sugars, the FSSAI’s draft proposal limiting itself to six months seems like a concession to manufacturers.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Since the 2024 dietary guidelines of the -National Institute of Nutrition

Because the official 2024 dietary recommendations published by India’s top nutrition institute

Part 2

say that children under two should avoid ,

Explicitly advise that babies and toddlers below two years old must not be fed added sugars,

Part 3

the FSSAI’s draft proposal limiting itself to six months

The food regulator’s draft rules applying restrictions only up to the age of six months

Part 4

seems like a to manufacturers.

Appears to be an unfair compromise favouring corporate commercial interests over children’s health.

Context and Background

ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines 2024

In May 2024, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) released updated Dietary Guidelines for Indians. The guidelines strictly recommend zero added sugar and zero added salt in complementary foods for children under two years of age to prevent early metabolic disorders, childhood obesity, and long-term affinity for ultra-processed foods.

Sentence 11 of 13

English Original

This should be avoided since India’s regulatory response to ultra-processed foods is expanding after years of sluggishness.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

This should be avoided

Granting such industry concessions must not be allowed to happen

Part 2

since India’s regulatory response to

Because India’s government rules against heavily packaged and processed junk foods

Part 3

is expanding after years of .

Are finally growing stronger and broader after a long period of slow and delayed action.

Context and Background

India’s Policy on Ultra-Processed Foods

After years of regulatory delay, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Supreme Court of India have accelerated action against Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and High in Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) products. Policy moves include drafting Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) warning systems and restricting junk food sales around school premises.

Sentence 12 of 13

English Original

India is currently mulling restrictions on added sugar in foods for the youngest infants, on unhealthy foods around schools, and on front-of-pack labelling for packaged foods.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

India is currently restrictions

India’s regulatory authorities are presently considering and discussing legal limits

Part 2

on added sugar in foods for the youngest infants,

Regarding added sugars mixed into foods designed for newborns and young babies,

Part 3

on unhealthy foods around schools,

Regarding sales and marketing of junk food near educational institutions,

Part 4

and on for packaged foods.

And regarding clear warning symbols printed on the front covers of all packaged food products.

Context and Background

India’s Food Safety Regulations on Schools and FOPNL

The FSSAI has initiated several public health policies targeting ultra-processed foods. Under the Safe Food and Healthy Diets for School Children Regulations, the sale and marketing of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) are banned within 50 metres of school premises. Concurrently, the FSSAI is finalizing Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) to provide clear, interpretative warning labels on packaged foods.

Sentence 13 of 13

English Original

If the FSSAI does not expand its proposed restriction to cover all added sugars and extend it across the first 24 months, and pair it with mandatory, interpretative front-of-pack labelling for all foods, its regulatory progress will remain incomplete.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

If the FSSAI does not expand its proposed restriction to cover all added sugars

If India’s food safety authority fails to broaden its new rules to prohibit all types of added sugars

Part 2

and extend it across the first 24 months,

And does not prolong this ban throughout the baby’s first two years of life,

Part 3

and pair it with , front-of-pack labelling for all foods,

And does not combine this measure with compulsory, easy-to-understand warning labels on packet fronts,

Part 4

its regulatory progress will remain incomplete.

Its efforts to reform food safety laws will stay unfinished and flawed.

Context and Background

Mandatory Interpretative Front-of-Pack Labelling

Unlike non-interpretative nutritional tables that merely display raw figures on the back of packets, “interpretative” Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (such as warning octagons or colour-coded traffic lights) translates nutrient metrics into clear visual symbols (e.g., “HIGH SUGAR”). Public health advocates emphasize that mandatory interpretative labelling is vital to prevent deceptive health claims and empower consumers to make informed dietary choices.

Sentence 1 of 13

Sentences Breakdown

Editorial Summary

5-Point Summary

1 The FSSAI has proposed eliminating the regulatory allowance that permits manufacturers to add sucrose and fructose up to 20% in foods for infants aged 0-6 months.
2 Health experts view adding sugar to baby products as nutritional dumping, serving commercial interests through cheap bulking and taste habituation rather than infant welfare.
3 Scientific studies demonstrate that early infant exposure to sweet flavours conditions lifelong taste preferences, highlighting the critical need for diverse, unsweetened diets.
4 Guidelines from the WHO and ICMR-NIN recommend avoiding added sugars for children under two, making the FSSAI draft restriction up to six months appear as a concession to industry.
5 For comprehensive food governance, India must ban all added sugars up to 24 months, regulate finished product profiles, and implement mandatory front-of-pack labelling.

Tone of the Editorial

Critical

Why this tone?

The editorial adopts a critical tone toward the FSSAI’s draft proposal for restricting added sugars only up to six months rather than the internationally recommended 24 months. By describing the draft proposal as a concession to manufacturers and highlighting commercial practices like nutritional dumping, the editorial firmly demands comprehensive regulatory action, including mandatory front-of-pack labelling.

Sentence 1 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2020

The official food safety rules established in India in the year 2020

Part 2

currently allow manufacturers to add sucrose and fructose,

Presently permit baby food companies to mix in table sugar (sucrose) and fruit sugar (fructose),

Part 3

provided their combined total does not exceed 20% of the carbohydrates

On the condition that the combined amount of both added sugars is not more than one-fifth (20%) of all carbohydrates

Part 4

in a product intended for infants aged 0-6 months.

In any packaged food created specifically for babies from birth up to six months of age.

Sentence 2 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In a draft proposal,

In an early version of a proposed regulatory plan open for review,

Part 2

the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pitched to eliminate this allowance —

India’s food safety regulator has formally proposed removing this sugar permission completely,

Part 3

in line with WHO’s recommendation to have infants breastfeed exclusively for the first six months,

Matching the World Health Organization’s advice that babies should receive only mother’s milk for their first six months,

Part 4

followed by nutritionally adequate complementary foods avoiding added sugars until 24 months.

After which children should receive healthy solid foods prepared without any added sugar up to age two.

Sentence 3 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While corporations have defended sugary formulations

Even though food companies justify their sweet baby food recipes

Part 2

as abiding by the Codex Alimentarius,

By arguing that they obey international food standards,

Part 3

public health experts have repeatedly described their decision to sell infant foods with added sugar

Medical and child nutrition specialists have frequently criticized the choice of selling sugar-added baby foods

Part 4

as nutritional dumping.

As an unfair practice of offloading harmful, low-quality products into developing countries.

Sentence 4 of 13

Adding sugar has often been a commercial strategy, as it serves as a cheap bulking agent, improves palatability and encourages repeat purchases.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Adding sugar has often been a commercial strategy,

Mixing sugar into baby food has frequently been a business profit tactic,

Part 2

as it serves as a cheap bulking agent,

Because sugar works as an inexpensive ingredient to increase product weight and volume,

Part 3

improves palatability and encourages repeat purchases.

Makes the food taste more pleasant to infants and prompts parents to buy the brand again and again.

Sentence 5 of 13

WHO’s nutrient and promotion profile model for baby foods in 2022 also identified sweet purées and products in which fruits released sugars during processing as concerns.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

WHO’s nutrient and promotion profile model for baby foods in 2022

The World Health Organization’s 2022 scientific nutritional standard for testing infant foods

Part 2

also identified sweet purées

Also pointed out that sweet mashed fruit and vegetable pastes

Part 3

and products in which fruits released sugars during processing as concerns.

And items where manufacturing processes broke open fruits to release free sugars were problematic for baby health.

Sentence 6 of 13

While the FSSAI’s draft proposal is a step in the right direction, stopping here would allow manufacturers to replace sucrose with another sweetening ingredient.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While the FSSAI’s draft proposal is a step in the right direction,

Even though the proposed food safety change is a positive first move,

Part 2

stopping here would allow manufacturers

Halting regulatory changes at this point would give companies an opportunity

Part 3

to replace sucrose with another sweetening ingredient.

To substitute table sugar with alternative sweeteners like corn syrup or maltodextrin.

Sentence 7 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

It should assess the ingredients that manufacturers add

The regulatory authority must examine the specific raw substances that companies put in baby foods

Part 2

and the nutritional profile of the finished food,

As well as the complete nutrient balance of the packaged product ready for sale,

Part 3

thus completing the loop,

Thereby closing every regulatory gap between food composition and marketing,

Part 4

with the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods Act 1992

Working alongside India’s special 1992 infant food legislation

Part 5

rightly restricting aggressively the marketing of infant foods for children up to two years old.

Which appropriately and strictly bans commercial advertising and promotions of baby products up to age two.

Sentence 8 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Research has found that children who regularly received sweetened water during infancy

Scientific studies show that babies who were frequently given sugar-mixed water during early months

Part 2

subsequently preferred sweeter liquids,

Later on strongly favored drinks with higher sugar content,

Part 3

while exposure to different infant formula flavours

Whereas introducing babies to varied tastes in milk formulas

Part 4

influenced their dietary preferences years later,

Shaped the kinds of food they naturally enjoyed eating as they grew older,

Part 5

including for foods tasting neutral or bitter.

Including developing a willingness to eat plain-tasting foods or slightly bitter vegetables.

Sentence 9 of 13

Across both personal and public health dimensions, then, infants need to encounter diverse flavours.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Across both personal and public health dimensions, then,

Looking at both an individual baby’s health and the broader society’s wellness,

Part 2

infants need to encounter diverse flavours.

Young babies must be given a wide variety of different tastes rather than just sweet foods.

Sentence 10 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Since the 2024 dietary guidelines of the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition

Because the official 2024 dietary recommendations published by India’s top nutrition institute

Part 2

say that children under two should avoid added sugars,

Explicitly advise that babies and toddlers below two years old must not be fed added sugars,

Part 3

the FSSAI’s draft proposal limiting itself to six months

The food regulator’s draft rules applying restrictions only up to the age of six months

Part 4

seems like a concession to manufacturers.

Appears to be an unfair compromise favouring corporate commercial interests over children’s health.

Sentence 11 of 13

This should be avoided since India’s regulatory response to ultra-processed foods is expanding after years of sluggishness.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

This should be avoided

Granting such industry concessions must not be allowed to happen

Part 2

since India’s regulatory response to ultra-processed foods

Because India’s government rules against heavily packaged and processed junk foods

Part 3

is expanding after years of sluggishness.

Are finally growing stronger and broader after a long period of slow and delayed action.

Sentence 12 of 13

India is currently mulling restrictions on added sugar in foods for the youngest infants, on unhealthy foods around schools, and on front-of-pack labelling for packaged foods.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

India is currently mulling restrictions

India’s regulatory authorities are presently considering and discussing legal limits

Part 2

on added sugar in foods for the youngest infants,

Regarding added sugars mixed into foods designed for newborns and young babies,

Part 3

on unhealthy foods around schools,

Regarding sales and marketing of junk food near educational institutions,

Part 4

and on front-of-pack labelling for packaged foods.

And regarding clear warning symbols printed on the front covers of all packaged food products.

Sentence 13 of 13

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

If the FSSAI does not expand its proposed restriction to cover all added sugars

If India’s food safety authority fails to broaden its new rules to prohibit all types of added sugars

Part 2

and extend it across the first 24 months,

And does not prolong this ban throughout the baby’s first two years of life,

Part 3

and pair it with mandatory, interpretative front-of-pack labelling for all foods,

And does not combine this measure with compulsory, easy-to-understand warning labels on packet fronts,

Part 4

its regulatory progress will remain incomplete.

Its efforts to reform food safety laws will stay unfinished and flawed.

Reading Comprehension

Practice questions based on this editorial

Reading Comprehension - FSSAI Restrictions on Added Sugars in Infant Foods

Practice reading comprehension questions based on the editorial about FSSAI draft restrictions on added sugars in infant foods.

7 Questions Passing: 50%

Explore by Category

Editorial Categories

Politics and Governance 8 Economy 14 International Relations 12 Science and Technology 9 Environment 11 Society 2 Security 2 Infrastructure and Energy 2 Media and Communication 1 Miscellaneous 10

Vocabulary Feeds

Challenging Vocabulary 354 Idioms and Phrases 271 Phrasal Verbs 103

About Scoreclever

Your Complete Learning Ecosystem

Scoreclever helps you master Current Affairs, English Language, and General Awareness for all Banking, SSC, Railway, and Defence exams. The Scoreclever app has innovative learning techniques that make memorization and revision effortless.

Explore Scoreclever

Anything wrong in this content?

Give feedback

Request a feature?

Contact support

Looking to contribute?

Contact our team